Kellys suspension set at six games

KSU Sports Information | Publisher

Kansas State Athletics Director John Currie announced today that senior forward Curtis Kelly will miss a total of six games as a result of a secondary violation of NCAA rules for receipt of impermissible benefits on the purchase of clothing at a local department store.

The NCAA's Student-Athlete Reinstatement Staff has accepted K-State's recommendation of penalties for Kelly's violation, which also includes repayment of the value of the benefit to a charity of his choice and corrective educational efforts by the department's Compliance staff.

The NCAA also stated that the two games from which Kelly was withheld last week against UNLV and UMKC may be counted toward his penalty. Kelly will be required to sit out four more games, making him eligible to return to playing status against Texas Tech on January 15.

Kelly and senior guard Jacob Pullen were declared ineligible last week by K-State for accepting impermissible benefits. Pullen has served two games of a three-game suspension and will miss the Wildcats' next game against North Florida on Friday afternoon. He will be eligible to return against Savannah State on January 3.

The lengths of Pullen's and Kelly's suspensions are based on guidelines established by the NCAA for extra-benefit violations. Generally, if the value of the benefit received is between $100 and $300, the student-athlete must sit out 10 percent of the team's regularly-scheduled games in that season. For an amount between $300 and $500, the penalty is 20 percent and for benefits greater than $500 a student-athlete must miss 30 percent of the team's games.

Currie said the NCAA's confirmation of Kelly's suspension concludes K-State's inquiry into the matter.